Southampton appoint Nathan Jones as manager on three-and-a-half-year contract.

By ABDULRASAQ ABDULRASHEED ADISA 

Nathan Jones was in his second spell with Luton, where he took them to the Championship play-offs last season; Southampton sacked Ralph Hasenhuttl on Monday after nearly four years in charge with the club inside the bottom three.

Jones, who has left Luton to take charge of the Saints, agreed his deal with the Premier League club on Wednesday before watching their Carabao Cup penalty shootout victory over Sheffield Wednesday.

He will be joined by coaches Chris Cohen and Alan Sheehan, and Sky Sports News understands a compensation package of around £2.5m will be paid to the Championship club.

Jones faces a daunting first match in charge at home to Liverpool on Saturday (kick-off 3pm) in Southampton's last fixture before the World Cup.

Jones said: "I'm really proud to be given this opportunity. I know a lot about the club from back in the days of The Dell, to coming here to St Mary's, and it's a wonderful football club.

"A lot of my family are Southampton fans, which doesn't half help, and I feel really, really proud to be given the opportunity, and I'm really looking forward to getting started.

"Obviously, I wanted to manage in the Premier League, I've dreamt of that since I've become a coach or a manager, but this club in particular - because of how it's run, because of the structure, because of how they look deeper than just results - really appeals to me."